MAN

You know of Man. The ant people. Those who come in many shapes and shades, and always dying. Others think them weak, because they are weak, slender, quick to starve or bleed, but you have been captured by them and escaped, or watched them carefully from the edges of their towns, or taken some and kept them, seeing what they do. You know there is a hideous strength in man. A beserk rage for 'order', like the armies of the ants, but vaster and more powerful. Men are weak but Man is strong.

Skills: History, Insight
Languages: Other than the group language and/or your tribal tongue, you may choose two human languages. You can also read;

Equipment:
A book (non-magical) of whatever subject you wish,
A plan of a particular human settlement, on human skin,
The holy symbol of a human faith,
The Toy of a human child.
A bag of human 'money' a handful, you don't know how much by their count. (Unless you roll 'Money' below.)

d8 Expertise. You have learnt a thing they do, and can do it too.

1 Religion. You know the creed of a human faith, enough to persuade the gullible that you are an unlikely convert.
2 Money. Apparently valueless things have meaning to them. You can ask the DM for the price in gp of objects you find.
3 Politics. Man-Tribes are big, but many. Sometimes they hate each other more than they hate you.
4 Families. They value the small ones. Bond-pairs value each other, sometimes enough to deal if you have one.
5 Tactics. They fight like they build, lots of little pieces making one big thing.
6 Strategy. Big man-tribes are like big animals. Sometimes you don't need to win, just make them tired and confused.
7 Magic. They get it from books, it runs out each day, if they can't sleep, or have no book, they have less magic.
8 Technology. You understand how a mill works and could take apart a lock.



Feature: Man-Tongue. You can talk like they do and understand them easily (though this is not the ability to mimic the sound of a human speaking, that requires a persuasion or performance roll.) You have some idea what they want and the inner logic of their actions. With the DMs consent, when dealing with any human thing relating to your speciality, you may add your proficiency mod to any roll. (Other SAVAGES find you talking like a Man very suspicious.)

d8 Personality Trait
1 I try to work things out carefully and explicitly into related chains of action before I act.
2 I sometimes speak knowledge that comes from dead paper. Others find this creepy and impressive.
3 I keep 'explaining' things or asking others to 'explain' what they mean.
4 I try to find things out even though the things are not useful.
5 I worry about the consequences of things that I do. Not just tomorrow, but many tomorrows away.
6 I wear fragments of human clothes and uniforms and am always adding to or changing the things I wear.
7 I wear fragments of humans and am always adding to or changing the things I wear.
8 I keep talking about places I have never seen and times I have never been.

d6 Ideal
1 Avoidance. If we avoid contact they will attack each other and forget us. Or something will kill them.
2 Fun. So much to destroy! And eat! And destroy!
3 Escape. We have to find some place they cannot follow us.
4 Cultural Theft. Steal their power and make it our own.
5 Enslavement. They will make good slaves once they are broken.
6 Genocide. They all have to die. All of them.

d6 Bond
1 I must preserve my tribe whatever the cost.
2 I must rule my tribe whatever the cost.
3 The Men know something that could destroy them, I must steal that knowledge and use it.
4 I must stop the men expanding their hives of stone and wood into the free lands. Not one inch more, they must burn.
5 They killed my people, took everything, I will teach them pain.
6 I need to keep this group of freaks together and alive as I have nowhere else to go.

d6 Flaw
1 I secretly cradle the fear that Mankind is somehow superior.
2 I am far too confident in my ability to understand them.
3 I can never stop with just one, I have to eat another one, then another..
4 I am obsessed with observing them without their knowledge.
5 I have dreams where I *am* one and they trouble me.
6 I am secretly utterly mad with a deep hatred for them which explodes unpredictably at the wrong times.

FIRE

You know fire. Maybe you were born in fire, burnt by fire, maybe it comes to you in dreams, or you just really really like fire. FIRE.

Skills: Investigation, Intimidation

Tools: Anything that makes fire;

Equipment: Six torches,
A big bag of kindling,
3 jars of stolen lamp oil,
Chunk of cauterised Troll Meat.
Tinderbox,
Either a simple weapon OR 3 flasks of Gunpowder.

d10 FIRST BURN.

1 A Druids grove, they tried to cut down the trees to save the rest. Failed.
2 An Elven tree village, they fell burning and lit the dry grass where they hit.
3 Forced herd of burning swine into a dwarven mine. It collapsed.
4 My own tribe while they slept. (Whoops, haahahaha.)
5 Crammed Halfling family into their own oven. Delicious.
6 A Temple full of Human Knights, barred the doors, baked them in their own armour.
7 Myself by mistake. Kind of messed-up looking now, still you live and learn!
8 The entirety of the plain to the south, got a little out of hand there. Dry season.
9 A wizards tower, piled up wood at the base and lit it like a match. The fireworks!
10 Boiled a pool full or water nymphs. Steam nymphs now!

Feature: You are really good at burning things! You can always add your proficiency bonus when trying to set things on fire. You are also resistant to natural non-magical fire. With the DM's agreement you can also add your proficiency bonus when dealing with things that are *on* fire. You like to set your weapons on fire and it doesn't always go that badly.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I judge people by how easily I think I could set them on fire.
2 If someone is in trouble, I’m always ready to lend help. So long as that help includes fire.
3 When I set my mind to burning something, I follow through no matter what gets in my way.
4 I like to cover myself in patterns made from the ash of things I have burnt.
5 Unusually, I prefer to cook my food, especially when it's still alive.
6 I'm spiritually worried, yet fascinated by, things that don't burn, like ice. Or teeth.
7 I like to wear burning tapers about my person to create an impression.
8 I get bored easily. But there's usually a solution to that nearby..

d6 Ideal
1 Combustion. It's getting as many things as possible *on fire* at the *same time*, gotta hit max burn.
2 Destruction. The maximum amount of material things destroyed, that’s what matters.
3 Ash. To reduce everything to that cold, grey plain. Silence, Peace and fragments of bone.
4 People. You only burn the house to get the people inside to run out. Then burn them. It's people that really matter.
5 Beauty. It's the impression the fire *makes* really, its an art form.
6 Justice. I should never have to face it. The most important thing is that I get away clean.

d6 Bond
1 I remember the burn for every scar I have, and am looking forward to more.
2 I'm really happy to find anyone willing to tolerate me and will try not to burn them alive.
3 I get flashbacks whenever I see fire, they're great.
4 I've always dreamed of seeing the greatest city on earth, and burning it down.
5 I really want to travel to the Plane of Fire.
6 It's change that matters in life. Everything has to change. Preferably into something smaller, and blacker, and deader.

d6 Flaw
1 I treat burning flames as NPC's, will listen to them when they 'speak' and will have relationships with them.
2 I really don't like travelling in the dark without fire, even thought I can see quite well.
3 I believe my soul is a fire inside me and am fucking terrified of water, especially large volumes.
4 If you leave me owning, or wearing, anything that *can* be turned into kindling, it *will* be turned into kindling.
5 I will totally do whatever I'm told by the first fire daemon, or fire elemental I see. I LOVE THEM!
6 I might be resistant to fire but I really believe I'm IMMUNE.

DUNGEON

Skills: Stealth, Intimidation;
Tools: One type of Gaming Set, Locks;

Equipment: A martial weapon, formerly human owned,
Keys to the doors of a certain underground place,
A set of dice made from human bone,
Chainmail with the sign of your Earth Lord,
A lamp with candle that burns slowly with a low, red flame.

d8 Your Former Boss. (You speak their language and they may even remember your name, or at least what you look like, maybe.)

1 A Wyrm Of The Sky
2 One Of Those Without Breath
3 A Maze-Minded One
4 A Man, burning in the flame of knowledge, driven out.
5 A Thief-King
6 A Soul-Taker
7 One Most Hungry
8 One-Ten-Strong

Feature: a Crew and a Womb. You have done service for an Earth Lord in one of the Wombs of the Earth. A Dungeon. There is a dungeon somewhere you know well. You are familiar with its guards and paths, they know you there. There is a reason you left, work with your DM to decide what it is. You know how far humans can see in the dark, less than you. You know how to stack outside a door before you break it down and that an area is never safe unless its patrolled on a regular basis. You also know to defend in depth, lure superior numbers into choke points and take them from the side.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I always obey the pecking order, and expect it to be obeyed.
2 I actually know what a schedule is, and can keep one.
3 I won't sleep without a sentry watching and get VERY ANGRY when they fuck up.
4 Nothing can bore me, I can wait and wait and wait.
5 I understand doors, locks, bars and chains. I like to be well protected from the outside world.
6 I get hyper-vigilance while resting and keep expecting someone to burst in.
7 I take prisoners, and I don't always eat them.
8 I kill the wizard first. KILL THE WIZARD FIRST!

d6 Ideal
1 Jobs. Do your fucking job and shut the fuck up about it.
2 Earth. Protect the earth from which we are made, stop the others getting into her.
3 Dark. Be the dark between the stars, light comes and goes. Darkness is eternal.
4 Place. Controlling places is good, know a place, make it yours.
5 Deep. Stay low, come from below, sleep in the earth, burn any structure above ground.
6 Master. Find the most powerful Lord, help them kill the rest.

d6 Bond
1 They stole a treasure from a place I protect. I will get it back.
2 They aced my boss, now I have his Phylactery and he won't shut up.
3 They killed my crew, I'm going to hunt them down, one by one.
4 Why should I not be the Earth-Lord, and rule my own maze?
5 Do to them what they did to me, break in, steal and kill. This time where they live.
6 I will eat the sun and make the world dark.

d6 Flaw
1 I can't hear for shit, even a battle taking place in the next room.
2 If something fails, I'll probably just try it again, and again and again and again.
3 I put way to much trust in anybody wearing a robe and a dramatic hat, waaaaay too much.
4 I get really confused if presented with more than one or two possible choices at a time.
5 I have a dangerous amount of confidence in my own plans and traps.
6 I found out about alcohol and I really really really really like it.

DREAMS

You know dreams are another world where many things can be seen and known. You pay attention 
to your dreams and remember what you do there. The knowledge will guide you in this world.

Skills: Insight, Arcana;

Equipment:
You have scratched on your skin a map of a place you saw in dreams. It is somewhere you will 
go.

A set of bones, which you believe will answer questions when thrown (counts as arcane focus)
OR a dream catcher made from human bone and hair (this prevents the Nightmare result).

A handful of poppy seeds. Enough to knock someone out if eaten or drunk.


d8 What kind of dreams do you have (You may roll each night if you wish.)

1 Violence
2 Journeys
3 Meetings with the dead
4 Another life as an animal or man
5 Flight
6 Nightmare
7 Other worlds
8 Magic

Feature: Sometimes you can learn real things in dreams. Once a game, if it makes sense with 
type of dream you had that night, you can sense a simple piece of nearby hidden information. 
A hidden motive, hidden door, the location of a object or some other simple thing. Major 
world-changing information will probably not be revealed.


d8 Personality Trait
1 I touch people when I wake up to make sure that they are real.
2 I always look for patterns in apparently random things.
3 I’m always afraid of ghosts and spirits, except while I'm actually looking at one.
4 I will ask you about your dreams, and talk about my own, at length
5 I’m always looking for a new stimulant or opiate.
6 I seem unfocused around important things and intense about minor matters.
7 I am followed by voices in wind, the rush of water or the buzzing of flies.
8 I’m convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets.

d6 Ideal
1 Understanding. I would know why things are as they are.
2 Revenge. I see the faces of my dead people in the night, they call for blood. 
3 Oblivion. I want to lose myself.
4 Transcendence. I would step into full into the world of dreams in full.
5 Power. I have been shown a future where I rule, I will fulfil it.
6 Secrets. I will ferret out them all.

d6 Bond
1 If I dream a place, I must go there.
2 I have an ancestor calling me to find their bones.
3 I work to appease the spirit of a particular natural place or feature.
4 My life is dedicated to preserving the deep places, where dreams come from. (Dungeons.)
5 I’ve been shown my people’s survival depends upon a people not my own.
6 I dream of a particular face, when I see it, one of us will die. Then a new face will come.

d6 Flaw
1 I am extremely credulous when it comes to other people intuition.
2 I blame people I know for what they did in dreams I had.
3 I know this world is not the real one and does not truly matter.
4 I treat coincidence like magic and magic like mere trickery.
5 I talk in my sleep and spill both secrets and hidden opinions.
6 I won't turn left, I have to turn 270 degrees right to go 90 degrees left.

BEASTS

You have learnt something of beasts you know they are NOT JUST FOR EATING!

Skills: Animal Handling, Nature;
Languages: Of one natural beast;
Equipment:
A whip or goad,
A saddle and reins,


Feature: You have a beast.
If Orc a large Boar, if Gnoll a Hyenadon, if Goblin a Giant Spider, if Mantis Man a Friendly Swarm
Your food requirements are now TREBELED


d8 Personality Trait
1 I need to smell someones droppings before I know if I can trust them.
2 I whisper all my secrets to my beast.
3 I know beasts know more than me, attend to what they do and let them guide my path,
4 If hungry I will drink the blood or ichor of my beast, and sometimes if not hungry.
5 I 'talk' to animals I find by imitating their movements and sounds.
6 I refer to friends by the name of their spirit animal, which I can always sense.
7 I am obsessd with finding tracks and never leaving any of my own.
8 I must show beasts extra respect as death may watch me from their eyes.


d6 Ideal
1 Taming. To tame a beast, to make it answer as a limb answers, this is best. (Lawful)
2 Riding. Wind and speed! To fly like the falcon over the earth! This is best. (Neutral)
3 Knowing. To understand the beast, know it as you know yourself, this is best. (Lawful)
4 Becoming. To be it from within, its flesh yours, your blood its own. Yes! (Chaotic)
5 Stealing. A stolen beast is always better. Steal! Take the beasts you need and laugh! (Chaotic)
6 Hunting. To be poised like a spear in the hand, to know, to see, to strike! (Any)


d6 Bond
1 I know we are the Spirits Beasts, when one wishes to ride us, we must allow it.
2 I sleep, eat, live and die with my beast. If it dies I shall die next to it.
3 I will ride the fastest, the largest, the fiercest that there are! All will know me!
4 I know this beast is the spirit of an old friend.
5 I was raised by these beasts, I live for them, more loyal to them than my own kind.
6 I seek the Animal Lords, one day I will despose one and take its place.


d6 Flaw
1 I had other friends before this, but my beast was hungry, what could I do?
2 I secretly think I am a beast trapped in this flesh, I seek means to free myself and return to what I am.
3 I think my beast is my master and await its secret orders.
4 I harm my beast when I am angry.
5 I HateFear my beast, I control it becasue I fear it, as I fear them all.
6 I do things with my beast that no-one should do. No-one knows (yet).



Boar
Armor Class 10
Hit Points 22 (3d10 + 4)
Speed 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 2 (-4) 10 (+0) 6 (-2)
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages —

Charge. If the Boar moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Actions:
Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone creature. Hit: 8 (3d4 + 3) slashing damage.



Hyenadon
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 19 (3d10 + 3)
Speed 45 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 2 (-4) 10 (+0) 5 (-3)
Skills Stealth +2
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages —

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 4) piercing and slashing damage.



Giant Spider
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 26 (4d10 + 4)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 2 (-4) 11 (+0) 4 (-3)
Skills Stealth +7
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages —

Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the spider knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.

Web Walker. The spider ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way.

Web (Recharge 5–6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 12 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 5; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).



Friendly Swarm
Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 22 (5d8)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
3 (-4) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 1 (-5) 7 (-2) 1 (-5)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 8
Languages —

Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Actions
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm’s space. Hit: 10 (4d4) piercing damage, or 5 (2d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.

Here is an experimental 5e Underdark background that might actually be useful to someone.

You are FROM BELOW

SKILLS

You are proficient in Athletics when the test is for a climb. If you are already proficient in Athletics, you are doubly proficient (count your bonus twice) but only when the test is for a climb.

You are proficient in Survival and doublly proficient when deep underground.

You can never become skilled in above ground Nature, it will always be alien to you.

You know the Silent Speech and can communicate with another who knows through subtle gestures that are not obvious to others.

You have Darkvision but are always at disadvantage in sunlight unless wearing special goggles or some kind of occluding device.



EQUIPMENT:

A small tool or object of your choice, made from human bone.

A small but powerful lamp, made of strange metals.

Strips of a dried but unidentfiable meat.

A secret tattoo showing a specific underground route known only to you.

A fine, strong silk rope.

Any of the weapons acquired through character generation that possess parts of wood, instead have parts of metal or bone. The hilt of your sword is bone, your arrows are thin steel etc.

You have one clothing item of deep blue-black silk. This is regarded as high quality above ground, though you think of it as normal. If anything you are wearing is leather, it is the cured skin of a particular sentient race, you think of this as normal.

Click or look under the break and roll.

 OK TIME TO START WEIRDING THIS SHIT UP.

Some of you may know a little about MANPAC already. Here is a 5e background for those who worship him.


You gain proficiency in Religion and Intimidation

You know Yoo-Suin Trade Tongue.

You gain a set of, and proficiency with, either:
Chefs Tools or Butchers Knives or Drug Paraphernalia


Equipment:

A Holy Symbol of MANPAC.
Ribbons of silk showing maps of unknown mazes visited in dreams.
Spices.
Knife, Fork and Plate.
A bag full of fist sized ROUND FOODS, oranges, dumplings etc. (Each of these can be used as a symbol of MANPAC and Divine Spell Focus.)
A pack of cigarettes.


CREED.

There are many strange gods in the theology of MANPAC, your cult recognises one particular Saint, God, or being as an intercessor with, or enemy of, MANPAC

1. The Blue Hog. The Spiked One is a messenger who moves so fast he cannot be seen.
2. The Man Of Pipes. This Cthonic Deity manages the endless flows of water deep beneath the earth. All things come to him eventually. His tread is feared.
3. The Prince of Ash. This maniacal and amoral hunter wanders the earth, trying to trap one of every kind of being.
4. The Tower Beast. This ancient titan keeps watch from his mountaintop perch. He sees all and challenges heroes to climb his mountain and throw him down. None have.
5. He Who Rebounds. This neutral god waits outside reality, playing his endless game balancing out the impulses of the physical world.
6. The Sleeping Bard. If woken, the Bard in Green becomes increasingly brave and heroic. But always falls asleep at the end of each adventure.
7. Giygas. He is outside all, he is beyond all, you cannot comprehend the form of his attack.
8. Shedinja. This hovering empty shell of an insect saint is neither ghost nor flesh.


Feature. Known by the Hungry, Feared by the Dead.

You know the creed of MANPAC and will be offered hospitality and aid by his temples and priests. MANPAC is considered a 'Good' deity in Yoo-Suin but is not well known in other lands. As your adventure continues, you will also become as infamous to the Undead as you are famous to the living. Any bonuses to CHA or reputation you gain for good deeds will be as powerful with intelligent Undead as with the living, except in the opposite direction. As you are loved by the living you will be feared by the dead.

(Should you become a heretic of MANPAC, the opposite is also true.)


d8 Personality Trait

1. The truth comes to me in dreams. I do what my dreams tell me to do.
2. I'm relentless. Ever forward. Like MANPAC! FORWARD!
3. I never directly confront evil, I let it pass, then stab it in the back.
4. I know reality is a trap I must decode, defeat and escape.
5. I know each problem has a particular solution, encoded in a single object.
6. I hear sirens screaming during danger, this makes it hard for me to hear my friends.
7. The darker it is more I feel the urge to run. Racing through the darkness. I stumble in the day.
8. I continually open and close my mouth without realising it.



d6 Ideal

1. The Maze. This world will soon be done. Long term social compacts have no meaning.
2. Food. Starvation is a tool of the ghosts. The starving must always be fed.
3. THE TRUE FAITH. I must tell people about MANPAC. I must tell everyone.
4. His Will. I am destined to cleanse the deep places of the earth.
5. Eat The Ghosts. Undead are the true evil. ALWAYS side with the living against the dead.
6. The Four. All evil forces interconnect into one giant conspiracy. They just wear different masks


d6 Bond

1. I will punch through time and space and come face-to-face with MANPAC himself.
2. My parents were murdered and returned as hungry ghosts. A cleric of MANPAC consumed them, and saved me.
3. A great famine killed almost everyone in my province, they came back as zombies. I will grow strong enough to destroy them all.
4. I was captured and tortured near to death by dungeon dwellers. MANPAC came to me in my dreams.
5. I was raised by cannibals but 'rescued' as a child. I seek to find them still.
6. I must cleanse a huge dungeon and transform it into a temple IN HIS NAME.


d6 Flaw

1. I am a compulsive Eater. Eat it! EAAATT IIIITTT!
2. I obsessively attack undead whenever I can.
3. I refuse to map underground. MANPAC will guide me.
4. I think vomiting is a terrible sin.
5. The dead should be eaten, to prevent them coming back as ghosts.
6. SECRET HERETIC. I seek to aid the ghosts! No-one must know.